Method for packaging bread products

ABSTRACT

The present application provides a tray for stacking flatbread in a partially overlapping relationship to each other. The tray includes a structure having a plurality of recesses therein, each of the recesses having an essentially planer trailing and an essentially planer leading surfaces extending between opposing sides of the tray, the recesses therewith arranged inclined relative to each other to form a saw-tooth pattern having peaks and troughs.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present application relates generally to bread products and morespecifically methods for packaging bread products for resale.

Bread products have been packaged for resale for some time. The type ofpackaging depends on the type of bread product. With regard to pitas andother flatbreads, these types are typically stacked over each other in avertical arrangement and placed into a bag for shipping. This method hasseveral limitations. For example, stacking vertically makes it difficultto prevent these breads from being crushed and, when these breads arefrozen, from separating individual pitas from the stack without damagingthe bread. Accordingly, there is a need for packaging pita andflatbreads that are not so limited.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, methods for packaging flatbreads are provided that uses atray to store pre-sliced pita in a way that the pre-sliced edges willnot be pushed/compressed together, and therefore will prevent the twolayers which form the pocket of each individual pita from stickingtogether.

In at least one embodiment, a tray for stacking flatbread in a partiallyoverlapping relationship to each other is provided that includes astructure having a plurality of recesses therein, each of the recesseshaving an essentially planer trailing and an essentially planer leadingsurfaces extending between opposing sides of the tray, the recessestherewith arranged inclined relative to each other to form a saw-toothpattern having peaks and troughs.

In at least one embodiment, a plurality of the recess include leadingsurfaces having essentially the same height peak to trough.

In at least one embodiment, a plurality of the recess include trailingsurfaces having essentially the same height peak to trough.

In at least one embodiment, at least one of the plurality of recessesincludes a trailing surface having a height essentially twice the heightof another recess.

In at least one embodiment, a plurality of the recess include trailingsurfaces essentially parallel to each other.

In at least one embodiment, a plurality of the recess include leadingsurfaces essentially parallel to each other.

In at least one embodiment, at least one of the plurality of the recessinclude trailing surfaces that is not parallel to a trailing surface ofanother recess.

In at least one embodiment, a plurality of the recess include surfaceswith ridges therein.

In at least one embodiment, the ridges extend from a front to back ofthe tray.

In at least one embodiment, at least one of the leading surfaces isessentially plumb relative to a plane of a rim of the tray.

In at least one embodiment, each of the leading surfaces is essentiallyplumb relative to a plane of a rim of the tray.

In at least one embodiment, at least one of the trailing surfaces is atan incline relative to a plane of a rim of the tray.

In at least one embodiment, each of the trailing surfaces is at anincline relative to a plane of a rim of the tray.

In at least one embodiment, a leading surface of at least one of therecesses is at a different include the leading surfaces of another ofthe recesses.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 provides a perspective view of a packaging tray according to atleast one embodiment of the trays discussed herein.

FIG. 2 provides a side view of a packaging tray according to at leastone embodiment of the trays discussed herein.

FIG. 3 provides a side view of a packaging tray according to at leastone embodiment of the trays discussed herein with a set of square pitasdisposed therein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present application generally provides a method for packaging breadproducts using the tray or trays depicted in the accompanying figures.Referring to FIG. 1, a tray according to at least one embodiment of thetrays disclosed herein generally includes a basic structure 100 with aplurality of recesses 102 therein for stacking bread products, such aspitas and other flatbreads, at an inclined relationship relative to ahorizontal reference plane, with the bread products only partiallyoverlapping each other as shown in FIG. 3.

In one embodiment, the basic structure 100 includes a plurality ofopposing sides 108 with the recesses 102 each having planer surfacesextending between the opposing sides 108. The planer surfaces of atleast one or all of the recesses 102 may be parallel to correspondingsurfaces of at least one other of the recesses 102. A plurality of therecesses 102 each include an essentially planer leading surface 106 andan essentially planer trailing surface 104. An essentially planersurface generally includes flat surfaces with ridges therein, forexample, to strengthen the tray. The dimensions of the tray and thenumber of recesses 102 may vary. In one embodiment, the tray has a width(side 108 to side 108 dimension) from about 4 inches to about 12 inches,a height (bottom to top dimension) from about 1 inch to about 3 inches,and a depth (front to back) from about 6 inches to about 18 inches. Inone embodiment, the tray includes 6 recesses 102 for packing half adozen pitas or other flatbreads.

Referring to FIG. 2, the recesses 102 according to at least oneembodiment are arranged in a saw-tooth pattern with a plurality of peaks202 and troughs 204. In one embodiment, the leading surface 106 of atleast one of the recesses 102 is essentially vertical or plumb, i.e., 90degrees relative to a level surface ±5 degrees (e.g., the plane of theperimeter rim about the structure of the tray). The trailing surface 104of at least one of the recesses 102 is preferably at an incline relativeto the level surface, i.e., between about 20 degrees and about 70degrees. In at least one embodiment, the height of the leading surface106 is essentially the same, e.g., ±20%, of the thickness of the pitaplaced therein. In at least one embodiment, the peak to trough dimensionof at least one of the trailing surfaces 104 is essentially half, e.g.,±20%, the height of a rectangular pita placed therein (measured in thedirection of peak to trough). In at least one embodiment, at least oneof the trailing surfaces 104, e.g., the lowest in the stack, has aheight that is essentially the same, e.g., ±20%, as the height of therectangular pita placed therein (measured in the direction of peak totrough), and the other trailing surfaces 104 are essentially half, e.g.,±20%, of the height of the pita placed therein or of the other trailingsurfaces. This relationship beneficially creates a partial overlapbetween rectangular pitas stacked in the tray, which, among otherthings, overcomes at least some of the prior stacking arrangements.

In one embodiment, the planer surfaces include ridges therein, such asvertical ridges in the sides 108 and leading surfaces 106, and front toback ridges in the trailing surfaces 104. The ridges may be straight orcurved, and may generally form a sinusoidal pattern in cross-section.

The process of packaging pita and other flatbreads, according to oneembodiment, begins with providing a tray as described herein. A user mayinsert a pita, e.g. a rectangular pita, in each of the recesses 102,beginning with the farthest recess 102 from the front of the tray (i.e.,the lowest in the stack). In this instance, the farthest recess 102 maybe the recess 102 having a trailing surface 104 with the peak to troughdimension essentially equal to that of the pita placed therein. Oncefilled, the tray and the pita inserted therein may be placed into a bagthat is sealed for shipment to merchants. This process may be performedmanually or automated in a conveyor system.

What has been described and illustrated herein is a preferred embodimentof the invention along with some of its variations. The terms,descriptions and figures used herein are set forth by way ofillustration only and are not meant as limitations. Those skilled in theart will recognize that many variations are possible within the spiritand scope of the invention in which all terms are meant in theirbroadest, reasonable sense unless otherwise indicated. Any headingsutilized within the description are for convenience only and have nolegal or limiting effect.

What is claimed is:
 1. A tray for stacking flatbread in a partiallyoverlapping relationship to each other comprising a structure having aplurality of recesses therein, each of the recesses having anessentially planer trailing and an essentially planer leading surfacesextending between opposing sides of the tray, the recesses therewitharranged inclined relative to each other to form a saw-tooth patternhaving peaks and troughs.
 2. The tray of claim 1, wherein a plurality ofthe recess include leading surfaces having essentially the same heightpeak to trough.
 3. The tray of claim 1, wherein a plurality of therecess include trailing surfaces having essentially the same height peakto trough.
 4. The tray of claim 3, wherein at least one of the pluralityof recesses includes a trailing surface having a height essentiallytwice the height of another recess.
 5. The tray of claim 1, wherein aplurality of the recess include trailing surfaces essentially parallelto each other.
 6. The tray of claim 1, wherein a plurality of the recessinclude leading surfaces essentially parallel to each other.
 7. The trayof claim 6, wherein at least one of the plurality of the recess includetrailing surfaces that is not parallel to a trailing surface of anotherrecess.
 8. The tray of claim 1, wherein a plurality of the recessinclude surfaces with ridges therein.
 9. The tray of claim 8, whereinthe ridges extend from a front to back of the tray.
 10. The tray ofclaim 1, wherein at least one of the leading surfaces is essentiallyplumb relative to a plane of a rim of the tray.
 11. The tray of claim 1,wherein each of the leading surfaces is essentially plumb relative to aplane of a rim of the tray.
 12. The tray of claim 1, wherein at leastone of the trailing surfaces is at an incline relative to a plane of arim of the tray.
 13. The tray of claim 1, wherein each of the trailingsurfaces is at an incline relative to a plane of a rim of the tray. 14.The tray of claim 13, wherein a leading surface of at least one of therecesses is at a different include the leading surfaces of another ofthe recesses.